Should I keep my TV?

Good grief! I can't believe UK TV licenses have gotten THAT expensive... but then again, it has been 20+ years since I lived there. £130 strikes me as a bit steep, for the amount of use you're getting. I'm wondering-- is it legal to watch videos and DVDs (ONLY) on a TV, without paying the license? Or does the signal go out to the radio cars, no matter what?

I think if you can afford it then you should keep it, you never know when you might want to tune into something on the television. And, the TV is actually a good way of learning new things as well. I know the internet is great but it's good to get information from a variety of sources. I know that to many, the licence fee seems particularly expensive, but this is a hypothicated tax, there aren't many of those, whereby the money raised goes to fund public service broadcasting. The BBC is not on an institution, it is arguably one of the, if not the, finest broadcaster anywhere in the world. I know that not everything they do or make will appeal to everyone but their investment in technology, in programming, in ideas simply would not happen if the BBC was funded via commercials. How many series do you see on ITV that are anything like what David Attenborough does, how many seriously good documentaries do you see on ITV? I would be very much in favour of keeping the licence fee if it means commercials stay off the BBC. I would however, consider changing this view for something like BBC3/4. I think television offers a lot and I would say keep your licence.

wtf Do you actually pay a LICENSE for a TV? Where do you live? I,ve never HEARD of such a thing. I,m in Canada and NEVER got billed for a TV, just a cable bill, but I presently don,t have cable, so I pay NOTHING for the TV set. Is paying a TV license a regulation where you live? Hmm. Never heard of such a thing... :( Here, I thought the biggest fee we paid for the TV is just when we actually BOUGHT the TV, then the cable monthly payment, IF we had opted to get cable.

I am astonished to read this. POunds 130 comes to nearly Indian Rs. 11000. Cost of a new TV set. Does the Govt. charge the licensing fee? What for? In our country we do not have any licensing fee. Charging a high licence fee infringes a citizen's right to freedom of expression which is nothing but freedom to access information. I sympathise with you.

I actually had to pay that in my homeland but over here we don't but we pay for the cable company monthly. Do you really need both TVs? I think one should be enough since you don't watch it often. I don't know what 130 pounds can buy there but it might worth it not to spend 170 but only 40 a year

I have just read through this thread and to be honest I could find nothing else to say that hasn't allready been suggested! So what I have posted to ask is what did you decide to do? Have you paid the license fee and kept the tv? Not paid and got rid of the tv? Or not paid and still got the tv!? I'm dieing to know after reading all these posts!

Thats dependent on you...If u feel like living without a TV then go ahead and get rid of it...The fact that you have a comp makes it all the more perfect for you to chuck it out!!!

I have never heard of a license for having a tv at home. Is it really like that in your country? We only pay electric bills here for electricity we consume.

in here we are not to pay license per years anymore. i thinks if you should do like thats just do it. but if the tv not used and not really need for you just sell it. you can watch tv from yuour computer if need. just buy tv tunner and install on your pc ok

I have never heard of tv license before.It's hard to believe that the government could use such a lame tax to rob the citizens.You can convert your computer into a tv by using a TV tuner.I don't know if they would charge a tax for that too,but they shouldn't.If your kids are happy watching the dvds on the pc ,then perhaps you could do away with the tv.

Tv Licence- Paying money to have a Tv at home...iam hearing this for the first time.Its not a proper law in your country to charge huge amount for licence.Tv is an important communication device which is a luxorious item..i feel in your country.Then it is not affordable for poor people.Here in India almost everyone own a Tv set without any licence and cost for purchasing it is very low compared to the amount you pay for licence.I suggest you to better get rid of this tv

This is the first time i am hearing about paying license for seeing tv..it is so miserable.. better u can have a radio instead of having a television.most properly u will get all the enteritment in the radio itself...(like Hearing about NEWS, AGRICULTURE, NATURE, SPORTS, ETC...ETC...ETC......

do you have to pay for it if it isn't connected to an antenna? I don't want to pay for mine either, but I have it without the antenna. Don't get any stations but the kids can watch DVDs and VHS and I rent movies sometimes. I like not being suckered into watching all the shows. If I have it I watch it, so it's nice not to have it anymore. I can do mylot instead LOL. Just a suggestion

I think with the amount you are taxed for the TV,it would have been the best alternative for you to sell it.

The license fee is high if you don't watch much. Remember they will charge it even if you have a tv in the house, so you'd have to completely get rid of it to be sure, and in theory it covers the BBC radio as well, though I've never heard of them enforcing a license fee if all you do is play a little radio. I would quite happily get rid of ours, but my husband likes his sci fi so we have to keep it.

iF YOU FEEL YOU HAVE THE SURPLUS CASH TO PAY FOR THE tv KEEP IT.iF YOU ARE PAYING THE CHARHES CUTING ON SOME OTHER ESSNTIAL ITEM THEN SELLTHE TV

Oh wow that is dreadful they were going to put a TV license in our country but lucky for us we do not have this at present, and every year you have to pay this amount that is dreadful. It all depends on your finances whether you can afford to pay this kind of money every year just for having a television to watch.

Well the only reason we have a TV is for my partner to watch the football! Other than that we don't watch it from one week to the next, so if I was in your position I would definately say get rid of it. With the lighter evenings coming, there will be so many things you can do in the house, and in the garden, and you always have your PC where I guess you may be able to watch the odd DVD. I would get rid of the TV tomorrow if it was up to me, but I think my beloved would pine away and die without his fix of "Match of the Day" or La Liga Spanish football or watever it is, so while he pays the license fee I put up with it! But I don't see the point for you at all!

I would get rid of the TV. TVs just make you lazy anyway, it isn't a necessity and if it costs an outrageous amount, then there are no pros to having a TV. Watch the DVDs on the computer and get rid of your TV!

If you think that you and the kids won't really miss it, then go ahead and let it go. I just watch TV myself except for news early in the morning or late in the evening.